It is difficult to use a telephone handset in noisy environments, and particularly handsets for hand-held wireless phones. To reduce the impact of background noise, many people hold hand-held cell phones at one ear and use their index finger or the palm of their other hand to plug or cover the opposite ear. This scenario vividly portrays a necessary, yet uncomfortable method of talking and listening with portable telephones in noisy environments. With the rapid growth of portable telephones and the widespread use of these phones in noisy environments, there is a demand for new headset configurations that can significantly reduce the inconvenience of noisy interference.
A Voice Recognition System (VRS) detects and decodes human voice signals. The VRS is used in conjunction with word processing systems allowing an operator to enter words and commands orally without using a keyboard. The VRS converts the voice signals into digital words that are then either entered into a document in the word processing system or used to control word processing operations. In another application, the VRS is used in conjunction with a telephone menu system. Instead of having to press telephone keys, the user orally enters the information, command, or selection from the telephone menu.
The accuracy of the VRS in converting voice signals into the correct words and sentences varies depending on the quality of the voice signals received from the human operator. For example, most VRS systems include a microphone on a boom that is positioned over the operators mouth. The microphone picks up the operator's voice but also picks up unwanted ambient noises. These unwanted noises may include general office noise in the same room as the operator and nonverbal sounds made from the operator, such as breathing noises. These unwanted noises often cause the VRS to misinterpret the voice signals coming from the operator.
Some headsets are used for two-way communication and include a microphone boom that extends over the mouth of the user. The microphone is located on the boom in order to pick up the voice signals generated from the mouth of the user. Because the microphone also picks up ambient noise, it is difficult to use these telephone headsets in noisy environments. Two-way headsets also use metal or plastic bands to support the boom and speaker earpiece. These headsets can easily be dislodged when the user is moving and also mess up the hair or disrupt headwear on the operator. The headset is also difficult to attach and detach if the headset operator is wearing a hat. Instead of using a plastic or metal band, some headsets use wires that hang loosely down from the earpieces. However, the earpieces in these headsets can easily dislodge from the user's ears.
The present invention addresses this and other problems associated with the prior art.